Difference Between Bryophytes And Pteridophytes

The description of a plant is divided into four parts which include roots, stems, leaf, and flowers. Depending upon such information plant kingdom is categorized into two categories which are Flowering plants and Non-flowering plants. Plants that are not capable to produce flowers are known as non-flowering plants. These plants are further classified as bryophytes and pteridophytes. Learn the difference between bryophytes and pteridophytes here.

Bryophytes are the simplest plants that grow in the moist terrestrial land. It consists of no true roots, rhizoids for anchorage. Moses is an example of bryophytes.

Pteridophytes are the plants that grow in a damp and shady place. It consists of a leaf, proper roots, and underground stems. The leaf is finely divided into small parts. Ferns are an example of pteridophytes.

Flowering plants include two types of plants namely Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. These plants have common features like stems, leaves, roots, proper vascular tissues for transportation, and contain flowers and fruits.

Bryophytes include plants like liverworts, hornworts, and mosses. These plants do not contain xylem and phloem tissues. They are known as non-vascular plants. Pteridophytes include plants like spikemosses, clubmosses, ferns, quillworts. They contain xylem and phloem tissues. They are termed as vascular plants.

Difference Between Bryophytes And Pteridophytes

Let us unfold more key points that exhibit the difference between bryophytes and pteridophytes

Character	Bryophytes	Pteridophytes
Definition	Bryophytes consist of a leafy or thalloid plant body.	Pteridophytes consist of roots, stems, and leaves.
Vascular tissue	Vascular tissue is absent.	Vascular tissue is present.
Vasculature system	Bryophytes lack in vasculature system, which means xylem and phloem absent.	Pteridophytes has proper vasculature, which means xylem and phloem is present.
Roots	Plants do not have roots, instead, rhizoids are present and help in anchoring.	Roots are present in these plants.
Stems or leaves	It does not have any true stems or leaves.	In this plant true stem and leaves are present.
Antheridium	Antheridium is salked.	Antheridium is sessile.
Archegonium	There is a common exposure of archegonium, whose neck is formed of six rows of cells.	There is a partially embedded archegonium and its neck has only four rows of cells.
Dominating part	In bryophytes, gametophyte is dominating.	In pteridophytes, the sporophyte is dominating.
Sporophytic phase	The sporophytic phase depends completely on gametophytic.	The sporophytic phase is an independent autotrophic.
Cell type	Bryophytes has haploid cells.	Pteridophytes have diploid cells.
Examples	Mosses, liverworts, hornworts.	Spikemosses, clubmosses, ferns, quillworts.

Bryophytes

The name ‘Bryophytes’ is a term used for plants that do not have true vascular tissue. It is a traditional name, for plants or embryophytes. These plants are known as “non-vascular plants”, which means they do not have xylem and phloem.

Due to the presence of dominating gametophyte the generation or production of the gametes takes place. But they fail in the production of flowers or seeds. The description of bryophyte’s body is not based on true roots, stems, and leaves rather they consist of rhizoids for anchoring. They carry unbranched sporophytes and reproduce by spores.

Examples of bryophytes are mosses, liverworts, hornworts. They prefer a moist place to grow and are limited in size, but sometimes they also grow in the dry environment. It plays a vital role by providing water and nutrients to other plants living alongside bryophytes in an ecosystem.

Pteridophytes

Pteridophytes plants are also known as cryptograms as they are not capable to produce either flowers or seeds. These plants fall under the category of vascular plants as they contain xylem and phloem tissues. They consist of leaves that are known as fronds, true stems, and roots.

Pteridophytes include fronds, that are the largest species of ferns and can reach up to six meters in length. These plants are highly diverse true ferns. Such plants get spread via spores and reproduce rather than seeds. These plants grow in the moist, dark, shady, cool, damp area.

As these plants are capable of producing gametes, they are known as a gametophyte. The description of the plant structure is based on roots, stems, and leaves. Few examples of pteridophytes are clubmosses, ferns, spikemosses, quillworts. Pteridophytes are the closest relatives of the angiosperms, the conifers, and other seeds plants.

Similarities Between Bryophytes And Pteridophytes

• Both plants consist of the heteromorphic alternation of generations.
• They are multicellular sporangia.
• The cuticle is present in both the plants.
• Sexual reproduction takes place due to the presence of oogamous.
• They consist of flagellated male gametes whereas the female gametes are non-motile.
• Due to the absence of siphanogamy, the fertilization is internal with the requirement.